Article submitted by Donna Andrews

Nov. 9, 2006

As a female shopping for car accessories a few weeks ago I was sorely disappointed – there’s really nothing targeted to the forty-something female market. All right, if I care to drive around with flip flop mats or some other sweet sixteen theme admittedly there are a few female-oriented accessories available to me. Hey out there, I’m a mature middle-aged professional! Personally, I’m looking for something slightly feminine without kitty cats purring at my feet.

Well, it struck me like a ton of pink bricks – there’s a potentially huge market out there waiting to be serviced. Manufacturers need simply to consider the wants and needs of the female market. In my quest for a product, I began shopping online to see just what is available. While I was disappointed by my seemingly limited choices I did make one discovery. Pink is hammering away at a market just barely in its infancy, a growing market for tools and work gear designed for women.

Women do-it-yourselfers (DIY) as well as women emerging in non-traditional occupations (NTOs) are driving the market. Why the growing trend? According to Fannie Mae female home ownership is on the upswing and non-college educated female “heads of household” are entering the workforce in non-traditional occupations where they are able to earn 20-30% more in wages. In fact, at the end of 2004, 839,000 women were employed in the construction industry alone (as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Industry manufacturers take note of the equipment and apparel needs for this growing sector. Tools and apparel traditionally designed for men not only do not fit women’s needs they are do not fit their bodies. Heavy and cumbersome tool grips and weights in addition to apparel not proportionately designed for a woman are a few of the challenges. “How can I be taken seriously”, asks one woman, when I’m on a construction site with my tool belt hanging down around my knees?” Female entrepreneurs have begun to service the market with new corporations such as Tomboy Tools, Inc. and Girlgear Industries.

Janet Rickstrew, CEO and founder of Tomboy Tools, says “the market has grown in leaps and bounds since Tomboy Tools launched in 2000.” Experiencing market expansion in Canada and the UK in March 2006, Tomboy Tools puts education first and foremost, supporting that effort by offering quality tools ergonomically designed for women. Their tool line includes hand and power tools with a lifetime warranty. Tomboy Tools will launch a limited pink tool line in March 2007. Few traditional manufacturers are keeping pace. Why? Janet feels that it may be a big step for traditional manufacturers who may not be completely sold on the idea.

Girlgear Industries met a reported “overwhelming success” with their professional grade Pink Tool Belt™ line marketed as both sturdy and stylish. Kellie Reamer of Girlgear Industries notes that they have “an equal balance of industrial trade customers and DIY customers.” Kellie also reports “we are working on Pink Tool Box and Pink Tool Bag designs that will be available for the 2006 holiday season.”

Online retailers such as Charm and Hammer, Ladies Tool Zone and Be-Jane.com continue to promote the emerging pink lines in tools and work gear. Bullard, a leading manufacturer of high quality personal protective equipment, has met the market with a 6-ratchet pink hard hat that online retailer Charm and Hammer rate as their newest favorite.

As more and more women become homeowners and women’s organizations continue to promote the female emergence into non-traditional occupations, expect to see new online retail stores as well as manufacturers sprout up with new pink lines to meet this expanding market.

About the Author: Donna Andrews lives in Wilmington, Delaware and researches and writes on a variety of timely topics and trends affecting the marketplace today. After twenty years of marketing in the private sector, Donna found her niche by recognizing the marketing needs of small business and recently began her own marketing and consulting firm, Marketing Riot, as a resource to train and educate small business owners in the successful development of marketing initiatives.

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